ABSTRACT
Background: Rapid, unplanned, and unsustainable patterns of urban development can result in many emerging environmental and health hazards. One of the important public health problems of urban environment is regular exposure to dust and pollutants and consequence of such exposure in the form of changes in the pulmonary function. Being the immediate environment, indoor pollution poses a higher risk to human health than the ambient environment. Realistic personal exposure assessment gives the actual idea about the exposure status. Objectives: This study determined the household principal environmental exposures (Dust, SO2 , NO2 , and total volatile organic compound) among urban slum dwellers and assessment of the respiratory function to determine any possible relationship between those exposures and outcomes. The study also described the knowledge, attitude, and practice of these urban slum people regarding air pollution and its effect. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 442 urban slum people residing in the slums of the Kolkata Municipal area. Household environmental exposures were collected by standardized methods and outcome was observed by conducting a pulmonary function test. Finally, knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding air pollution were carried out with the help of a questionnaire-based survey. Results and Discussion: Almost all the pollutants exposure was associated with impairment of lung function. Younger age and female gender were statistically associated protective factors for the development of any lung disease. Those who had an overall good awareness regarding the means and effects of air pollution were found to be protected from developing lung disease. Using exhaust ventilation, relocation to inner side of slums, using personal protective measures, and adequate pollution awareness can help the slum citizens to overcome the problem.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Although a large number of contributing factors of occupational injury causation are explored meticulously to explain the phenomenon of higher occupational injury occurrence in some subjects, it has remained a matter of controversy. AIMS: In this study, an effort is made to explore whether job security has any contribution in explaining higher susceptibility of some workers. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a retrospective occupational injury record study conducted in an industry of eastern India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Along with the study of injury records of 5 years, an interview was also conducted involving 726 workers (including permanent and temporary workers both) of the factory. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Comparison was made between permanent and temporary workers by using the Mann-Whitney U-test and the chi-square test. A theoretical model of Poisson's distribution was used to compare between expected and real occurrence. RESULTS: Although two worker groups were very similar in relation to age, level of education, habits, and nature of work, accident frequency and severity rates were found to be significantly higher in temporary workers. CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that the higher accident risk of the temporary workers might have been due to the less effective experience as well as due to lack of job security inherent in such workers.